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Monday, 26 December 2011

So it's the end of another year in music and, in my opinion, it's been a goodun'.

A year that featured Peej's astounding second Mercury prize win, Beyonce winning over a cynical Glastonbury crowd with sparkly pants and a whole lotta weave during her headline set and Warpaint's dreamy debut album is a year that should be celebrated and celebrated it will be.

And, yes I know there are slightly bigger music websites like Pitchfork and The Quietus that may be putting together an end of the year review but I believe nothing will top my review because I, dear readers, have Azealia Banks, Sneakpeek and Katy B. Nothing beats that hand.

NB. This mixtape is best enjoyed whilst getting ready for a New Year's Eve party complete with cheap wine and badly applied eye liner.

Friday, 23 December 2011

Bass enthusiasts Sleigh Bells have come out of hiding to announce the title of their forthcoming second album and have decided to throw a little taster our way.

The Bells released a rather slick trailer video to announce their second album, Reign of Terror, which is set for release on February 13 2012 on Mom + Pop Records.

Produced by Derek E. Miller their extremely enthusiastic PR described the album as featuring "songs that are as crushing and authoritative as their title suggests; they're effortlessly robust and heavier than any of the band's previous output ... the sonic equivalent of a beautiful shotgun to the head." Yipes.

'Born to Lose', which you can listen to below, is the first single from the album and it features Sleigh Bells trademark shouty, girlish vocals layered over ample bass and distorted guitars.

I came to this a bit late but good God I love this song. Emeli Sandé, real name Adele Emeli Sandé, is a Glaswegian Aretha in the making and the owner of the powerhouse vocals, and fantastic blonde quiff, that make this song what it is. The Song of the Month this time round has to be 'Heaven' by Ms Sandé.

'Heaven' is a string-drenched club track; the kind that you can dance around to on a Saturday night out and still enjoy when you're lying in bed in your room. It is reminiscent of the essential 90s club track'Unfinished Symphony' by Massive Attack.

I first heard this song when I was slightly tipsy round a friend's house on Halloween (we were going out after that and other people were drinking. I wasn't a lone drunk). In my drunken haze I knew one thing and one thing only. I needed to remember that song. So I wrote down her name on my phone and when I woke up the next morning looked her up and I've been in awe ever since.

Keep an eye out for Sandé, with her album due out early next year and her latest single 'Daddy' out now she's got her eye on a piece of, 2011 favourite, Adele's very profitable pie.